Push pole



Aug. 21, 1928.

G. F. GATES PUSH POLE Filed Nov. 14, 1927 Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES GROVER F. GATES, OF DE GRAFF, OHIO.

v PUSH POLE.

Application filed November 14, 1927. Serial No. 233,026.

This invention relates to push poles for shifting cars in railway yards by means of a locomotive on a track alongside that of the car to be shifted.

It is common practice in railway yards to shift cars along a track separate from the track on which the locomotive is operating by means of a Wooden pole commonly known as a push pole which is positioned diagonally across the space between the tracks with one end engaging an end sill in locomotive and the other end engaging with an end sill of the car.

To facilitate the use of a push pole, locomotives are provided adjacent opposite ends of the front sill and adjacent the opposite ends of the rear sill at the rear end of the tender, with concave pockets adapted to receive one end of the push pole and freight cars are provided adjacent each end of each sill with a similar concave pocket to receive the opposite end of the pole. In shifting the car, a switchman holds the pole in his arms with one end in engagement with a pocket in the adjacent end sill of the locomotive and as the locomotive approaches the car to be shifted, he guides the pole into engagement with the pocket in the end sill of the car. Failure to properly engage the push pole with the pockets on the locomotive on the car and breaking of the pole has, in many instances, caused serious or fatal injury to workmen holding the pole.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a mounting for the push pole by which the pole may be supported on the locomotive with one end thereof in en gagement with the pocket on the locomotive, which enables the pole to be easily shifted and guided into proper engagement with the pocket on the end of the car to be shifted, and which eliminates the danger of injury to workmen manipulating the pole.

A further object is to provide an attachment to the pole by which it may be quickly secured on an end of the locomotive with its inner end in engagement with a pocket and its outer end free to swing laterally to proper position for engagement with a pocket on the end of a car on an adjacent track and which permits the pole to be quickly detached from the end sill of the locomotive so that it can be stored on the 1000- motive when not in use.

A further object is to provide an attachment of the character above described which is extremely simple in construction, which is light in weight, and which can be manufactured cheaply.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise a device as illustrated in the accompanying drawing hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the push pole of the present invention carried by a locomotive on one track and interposed between the locomotive and a car on an adjacent track.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the means for pivotally supporting the pole on the locomotive.

Fig. 3 is a sect-ion taken on the line indicated at 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a push pole pocket on an end sill of the locomotive showing the hinge lugs secured to the sill above and below the pocket.

In the drawing, there is shown a locomotive which is provided with concave push pole pockets 2, which are located one adjacent each end of the front sill 3 and one adjacent each end of the rear sill 4 at the rear end of the locomotive tender.

In Fig. l of the drawing, there is shown a car 5, which is provided with a push pole pocket 6 adjacent each end of each end sill. As shown in Fig. l, the locomotive l is mounted upon the track 7 and the car 5 is mounted upon an adjacent track 8, which is connected to the track 7 by means of a switch 9, this View showing the push pole 10 interposed between the locomotive and car for pushing the car along the track 8 and through the switch 9 to the track 7.

, The present invention consists of a device for pivotally supporting the push pole on the locomotive with its inner end in engagement with one of the push pole pockets. The push pole carries a supporting member in the form of a sleeve adapted to receive the inner end portion of the pole and this sleeve consists of inner and outer end rings 11 and 12 connected by longitudinal bars have pivotal rigidly attached to the rings. Two of these bars 13 and 14: are diametrically opposite each other and are extended beyond the inner end ring to provide hinge arms 15 and 16, the other bars 17 intermediate the bars 13 and 14 being connected at their ends to the rings. The hinge arms 15 and 16 carry axially alined pintles 18 and 19, which are formed integrally therewith and extend in the same direction. The pintles 18 and 19 are received in apertures 20 and 21 which form pintle sockets in hinge lugs 22 and 23 which are rigidly attached to the end sill of the locomotive above and below the push pole socket 2. Hinge lugs 22 and 23 are mounted on the end sills of the locomotive above and below each of the four push pole receiving pockets so that the push pole may be mounted at any one of the four corners depending upon the location of the car to be pushed. rigidly fastened to the end sills by any suitable means and when these sills are formed in metal, the lugs are preferably welded thereto. Push pole 10 is slidably mounted within the supporting sleeve and when the pintles 18 and 19 are engaged with the lugs 22 and 23, the pivotal axis of the sleeve and pole is vertical and disposed centrally with respect to the concave push pole pocket so that the rounded inner end of the pole engages the concave socket and can slide in the socket during the pivotal movement of the pole. In order to permit pole to movement and remain in engagement with the pocket 2, the pole is slidably mounted within the rings 11 and 12 so that it can have sufficient longitudinal movement to permit its inner end to slide over the concave surface of the pocket. In order to retain the supporting sleeve in proper position on the pole, stop pins 2 1 and 25 which may be in the form of wood screws are carried by the pole inwardly of the inner end ring 11 and outwardly of the outer end ring 12 of the sleeve member. To attach the push pole to the locomotive, it is only necessary to hold the pole in horizontal position with the pintles 18 and 19 over the lugs 22 and 23 and to lower the pintles into the sockets 20 and 21. When so attached, the push pole is supported in horizontal position and is free to swing laterally so that it can be easily guided by a workman standing in a safe position into engagement with a push pole pocket on the car to be shifted. After the push pole has served its purpose, it can be instantly detached by lifting it to free the pintles 18 and 19 from the hinge lugs 22 and 23 so that when not in use, the push pole may be stored on the locomotive tender.

The hinge lugs 22 and 23 are What I claim is: v v

1. The combination with a locomotive having a push pole pocket on an end sill, of a horizontally disposed sleeve member pivoted to said sill to swing about a vertical axis disposed centrally of the pocket, and a push pole slidably mounted in said sleeve and engaging in said pocket.

2. The combination with a locomotive having a push pole pocket on an end sill, of a horizontally disposed sleeve having diametrically opposite arms rigidly connected thereto and extending inwardly from its inner end, said arms being connected to the sill above and below the pocket for movement about a vertical axis, and a push pole slidably mounted in said sleeve and engaging in said pocket.

The combination with a locomotive having a push pole pocket on an end sill, of a pair of hinge lugs rigidly secured to the sill one above and the other below the pockets, a horizontally disposed sleeve member detachably and pivotally supported on said lugs, and a push pole extending through the sleeve member with its inner end engaging in said pocket, said pole having a limited sliding movement in .said sleeve member.

4. The combination with a locomotive having a push pole pocket on an end sill, of a pair of hinge lugs rigidly secured to the still above and below the pocket and having axially alined pintle sockets, a'sleeve member having diametrically opposite arms extending inwardly from its inner end,

alined downwardly extending pintles at the inner ends of the arms adapted to enter the sockets of said lugs, and a push pole extending through the sleeve member with its inner end engaging in said pocket, said pole having a limited sliding movement in said sleeve.

5. The combination with a locomotive hav ing a push pole pocket on an end sill, of a pair of hinge lugs rigidly secured to the sill above and below the pocket and having axially alined pintle sockets, a sleeve member comprising end rings and longitudinally extending bars connecting said rings, one pair of said bars being diametrically opposite and extending past the inner ring, the latter pair of bars having downwardly extending pintles at their inner ends adapted to enter the sockets of said lugs, a push pole having one end portion slidably mounted in said sleeve and engaging in said pocket, and means carried by said pole for limiting the sliding movement of the pole in said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 

